


seasons change, but people don't

by artymiswritesfics



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Selectively Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Tickling, he says a total of one word, im doing my best, please appreciate me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 21:29:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20442821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artymiswritesfics/pseuds/artymiswritesfics
Summary: Link wants affection. Zelda gives it to him.





	seasons change, but people don't

**Author's Note:**

> based on the tumblr prompt: "omg you write for botw?? could you do a fic where link is trying to ask zelda/sidon to tickle him nonverbally and getting increasingly flustered when she/he doesn't understand?"

Link was growing increasingly frustrated.

He just wanted affection. That wasn’t too much, was it?

He understood why he and Zelda didn’t have much time to relax. Hyrule was completely destroyed after the Calamity, minus the few surviving towns and villages. Most of it was in ruins. They had work to do.

But Sidon was his first experience of physical touch after one hundred years, and from what he could remember, Mipha, Zelda and Daruk were the only ones who would ever do that. And it wasn’t often, either.

On the occasions where Link and Zelda got time to themselves, he’d practically beg her to touch him. He’d rest his head in her lap and she’d usually stroke his hair, or he’d lean into her side and she’d wrap an arm around him and hold him tight. After he’d defeated Ganon, she ran to him and hugged him for probably too long, but at the time it felt like not enough.

He doesn’t remember being tickled before he had to rest in the Shrine of Resurrection, but he must’ve been. Why else would he be craving it?

He’d been trying to drop hints to Zelda, but she never seemed to catch on. He’d even tried taking hold of her hand and draping it across his neck, and then she never did anything and left her cold fingers pressing into his skin.

And finally, finally, when they were making their way from Gerudo Town to Rito Village, they stopped on a hillside to rest. Zelda reached out and gave a poke to his stomach that caused a soft squeak and a flinch. A smirk found its way to her face.

“I forgot you were ticklish.” Was all she said at first. Link ducked his head and scooted back towards her.

It was a mistake. Zelda snaked her arms around him from behind and pulled him closer, holding him against her chest. Link made a few noises of protest.

“Oh, calm down, I’m not going to hurt you.” She traced light circles through the fabric of his shirt. “But it has been a while since I’ve heard you laugh.”

Link covered his mouth with his hand to hide the grin threatening to grow from anticipation.

Zelda huffed. “Well now, that’s no fun.” She tugged his arm away. Link almost put it back up when she let go.

She slipped her hand under his tunic, spidering her fingers across his skin. He instantly burst into giggles, turning to the side as an attempt to get away the best he could in her hold.

“There!” Zelda exclaimed. “It’s been such a long time since I heard that.”

Link instinctively tried to squirm away, pushing halfheartedly at her hands.

“Isn’t this what you wanted?” She asked. So she had it figured out. Well, she was right, but her touches were so light it was almost unbearable.

Zelda focused on his sides for a few minutes, which made more higher-pitched sounds. “Do you remember where your worst spot was?”

Link shook his head. He didn’t remember being this ticklish in the first place, but to be fair he doesn’t remember much at all.

Wiggling fingers were raised to his neck, and he wasn’t ready for it. He scrunched his shoulders up, laughter spilling freely from his lips. If he were anyone else, he would’ve called out a Don’t!

Finally Zelda pushed him away, sending him tumbling a couple feet before he sat up, a lingering grin sitting upon his face and the ghostly tingles fading.

The princess lay back, sprawling out in the grass. Link crawled over to join her.

“That was fun,” She said.

He nodded. “Yeah.”

It was one of the first things that Link had said to her in the time following the battle at Hyrule Castle. Zelda made no verbal acknowledgement, although Link knew she took mental note.

“You’ve said that before,” She pointed out. “One hundred years ago, in the same situation.”

Link made a noise to tell her that he understood. He’d spoken enough for the day.

Zelda lifted her head, propping herself up with her elbow. “Don’t think I’m not going to start using this against you from now on. You’re being annoying for some reason or another? You’ve done something incredibly dumb? You’ve broken someone’s pots again? I’ll remember next time.”

Link nodded again, feeling heat wash over his cheeks.

Honestly? He was kind of looking forward to it.

**Author's Note:**

> follow me on tumblr! @artymiswritesfics


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